


Impact

by DarkAlpha67



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Architect Derek, Background Relationships, Deputy Hale, FBI!Stiles, Father/Daughter Relationship, Grandpa!Stilinski, Harper Hale- OC, M/M, Malia is a Hale, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Derek Hale/OC, Single Parent Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski/OC - Freeform, Stiles and Derek Broke Up, Washington D.C., from lovers to friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-09-30 13:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10164230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAlpha67/pseuds/DarkAlpha67
Summary: Derek ended things with Stiles before he left for college.As much as it pains him, he tries to continue living his life without Stiles.Key Word: TriesAnd then... Stiles comes back.*Was edited on 9 July 2017*





	1. For Better or Worse (I've Got You)

**Author's Note:**

> Fic inspired by Leona Lewis- I've Got You.
> 
> Because every relationship has an impact in your life and while not all end on good terms, it is up to you to decide whether that impact will be good and bad...

“Just tell me to stay. And I will.”

Derek heart breaks even further, if that is even possible, at the sound of Stiles’ croaked voice. The loft is silent, with nothing but the pounding of Stiles' heart and his erratic breathing, filling his ears.

There are tears trailing slowly down Stiles’ cheeks, rolling over his jaw line, hanging there a second before gravity takes its course and they fall to the ground.

“I’m not going to do that, Stiles.”

His voice sounds calm, hard and firm, as if this isn’t the hardest choice he has ever made. He understands the circumstances and he has no doubt that Stiles will do exactly has he says, he will stay for Derek.

But, Derek won’t allow it.

This thing between them, it was fast and it was beautiful and it’s the last thing Derek wants to lose but he has no other choice.

“Why the hell not?” Stiles shouts, taking a step forward, his eyes a raging storm of pain and anger. “Because what? It’s a once in a life time chance? There will be other chances! I don’t have to leave, I can stay here. Why the hell do you want to me to go?”

“I already told you my reasons.”

“Reasons? You gave me a brief explanation about how our relationship isn’t worth it! Like I spend the last two years loving you for the heck of it! You said, you _said_ , that I wasn’t going to lose you. That we would make it and we did! We fought together and we won and now what? You want to end it because I am traveling a few miles away?”

“Yes.” Derek forces out.

The words seems to impact Stiles on a physical level.

He jerks back as if Derek had struck him, he stumbles, his feet moving backwards at their own accord.

Everything inside of him is begging him to end this, to shut the hell up, to close this small distance between, to wrap his arms around Stiles and tell him, no, he doesn’t want him to leave.

“You’re unbelievable.” Stiles spits out.

Derek turns his back to Stiles and the sound of the loft door sliding shut, causes him to flinch, his shoulders jerking up.

He can hear the soft sob that leaves Stiles’ lips as the walks away, can smell his scent slowly fading, lessening, with each step he takes, further and further away from Derek.

Stiles pauses outside, Derek can hear him holding his breath and he knows he is waiting for Derek to come out and tell him to stay.

The roaring sound of the Jeep as it drives away will forever ring in his ears.

 

*

 

Life goes on.

Or at least that’s what Derek sees, as for feels…

He feels suspended, as if he is dreaming, walking around, blindly going through life without any idea when he will wake up, waiting and waiting but for what he doesn’t know.

Stiles has called him, or at least tried to but Derek doesn’t answer.

Whenever the phone goes off and Stiles’ grinning face appears on the screen, Derek freezes. He sits there, or stands there, staring at the phone. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t twitch, just stares until finally the ringing stops.

He gets a job working for the Sheriff’s department.

Noah helps him through it, getting him well acquainted with the way things works around there.

He is partnered up with Jordan, who had broken up with Lydia shortly after she left for collage too.

They don’t talk about it, they barely even mention it.

Derek, on more than one occasion has walked in on Noah talking on the phone with Stiles, and with every conversation, Derek learns different things.

Stiles is hanging in there.

Stiles doesn’t know what to do.

Stiles is sick and tired of feeling like this.

Stiles is doing good in school.

Stiles met someone.

Stiles broke up with someone.

Stiles is trying to date.

Stiles is doing good.

Scott, whenever they meet for pack meetings, slips in minor details about Stiles even if Derek explicitly told me he wants nothing to do with Stiles.

He even so far as to threaten Scott that if he keeps mentioning Stiles again, he will load his ass with Wolfsbane Bullets.

Even then, Scott mentions him, only this time not to Derek. He mentions it to the group but he makes sure Derek is within hearing distance when he does this, giving him no other choice but to listen.

 

*

 

Before he knows it two years has passed.

He is now know around Beacon Hills as Deputy Hale, not Derek Hale former murder suspect or the boy who lost his family in a fire.

Some even seem to have gradually forgotten about that and it makes his job easier.

With a file in hand, Derek makes his way to the Sheriff’s office, opening the door and then he hears it.

His voice.

_“… Yeah, Dad. The plane will land around 10 tomorrow.”_

“God, I can’t wait to have you back here, son.”

_“Yeah, I missed you guys. Skyping with the pack is not the same as actually talking to them.”_

“Do you know how long you will be staying?”

“ _Until the break ends. I’ll be going to finish my year before I made any actual decisions…”_

His heart stops and drops, falling and cracking the lower it goes.

His hands clench around the doorknob. He hears the metal creek under his palm and that gets the Sheriff’s attention.

He turns and around and from the looks on his face, he knows Derek heard everything.

He clears his throat.

“Hey, son, I have to go, something came up but I will see you tomorrow at the airport.”

_“Sure thing, Daddio. Love you and stay safe.”_

“Love you too, son.”

Noah hangs up and stares at Derek for a second.

He opens his mouth to say something but Derek cuts him by speaking first. “Here’s the report I need you to sign. Parrish was supposed to give it you but he got called in.”

He hands Noah the file and turns around, walking briskly towards his desk, trying to hide his panic.

His heart is pounding, and his wolf is twitching with excitement at the news but Derek...

Derek is terrified.

He knows that this is long overdue. He never thought it would come so soon but nonetheless it has. The day Derek has been dreading and hoping for has finally arrived.

Stiles is coming back.

 

*

 

The pack is all making arrangements at the Sheriff’s house for Stiles.

Though Derek doesn’t consider himself as part of the McCall Pack, he does consider himself an ally, so when Scott told him, yes _told him_ , that he should be there for Stiles’ return party, Derek reluctantly agrees.

Scott, as if sensing his hesitation, explained to him that even if things ended badly between him and Stiles, he knows Stiles would want him there, hinting that Stiles has missed him and seeing him there would mean that, although they aren’t together anymore, Derek hasn’t completely forgotten about him.

 _Forgotten about him_ … Like that is even possible.

He stands there, with a cold beer in his hands, watching everyone run around, hearing Melissa’s strong voice ordering everyone around, telling them where to put things.

With the help of Malia, she got everyone and everything ready by the time the Sheriff’s car rolls into the drive away.

Everyone is bouncing on their feet.

Derek’s heart is pounding against his chest. His stomach turns and he feels faint.

He hears the car door open, first one, then another… and then another.

Derek frowns.

Did Stiles bring home somebody with him?

The images that one thought conjures up causes him to lose control of everything.

He wants to pick up the scent, wants to heart the heartbeat of this other person but he can’t. He can’t seem to control anything.

The front door opens and everyone screams.

“Stiles!” Scott shouts, and he watches numbly as the True Alpha rushs toward his best friend and then proceeds to wrap his arms around him, tugging him roughly into a tight embrace.

The others chortle with joy and soon everyone is moving to the door, blocking any view of Stiles, his father and whoever is with them.

Liam is trying to squish his way past the gathered bodies.

Malia is bouncing past the boys, towards the person behind Stiles.

“Argh, I missed you guys so much.” Stiles’ muffled voice breaks through and it’s like music to his ears.

Even with the odd phone calls that he has walked in on, nothing beats hearing that voice in person. It’s still as he remembers it, only a little deeper.

“Sure, ignore me too. Like I haven’t your asses and been part of the pack for years too.”

Her voice is as sweet, high and sharp as ever.

Scott pulls away from Stiles and moves to the person Malia is still holding, pulling the red-head into a hug almost just as tight as the one he gave Stiles.

Seeing an opening, Liam wraps his arms around Stiles the moment Scott lets go.

“Lydia, how I have missed you.” Scott says.

Suddenly brown eyes locks with his.

Derek stares, not knowing what to say.

He takes him in.

He has grown, both is height and in width.

Though he’s still lanky, his frame is more muscular than before. His hair is still the same length, more spikier and more wilder.

His skin has a hint of tan in it, but other than that it is still as pale and smooth as ever.

Looking at Stiles, it’s like nothing has changed.

Except everything has.

Ducking his head, Derek looks away and silently makes his way to the kitchen.

He walks past Melissa as she makes her to greet Lydia and Stiles.

Though she isn’t looking at him, her hand wraps around his forearm, giving it a small comforting squeeze as she passes.

As Derek leans against the counter, he keeps himself away from view.

His breathing is coming out sharper and uneven and as he tries to inhale and exhale slower, he can’t seem to. Closing his eyes, Derek lets the voices from inside distract him.

“ _So how was it?” Scott asks eagerly._

_“Oh man, it was great. Seriously, the campus and the courses are awesome.”_

_Lydia cuts him off. “Even if he needed help with some of them.”_

_“Doesn’t surprise me.” Noah says._

_“Hey! I come back and already you're insulting me? What kinda of welcoming party is this?”_

_“This isn’t just your party, Stiles. It’s for Lydia too.” Sheriff Stilinski says._

_“Yeah, and as far as I know, they aren’t insulting me, so in my opinion this party is wonderful.” Lydia retorts._

_“Unbelievable.” Stiles mutters under his breathe._

Derek tenses.

The word ring in his ears as that night flashes in his head.

Stiles’ broken and hurt voice, echoing through his mind as if it’s a distance, long forgotten memory but Derek knows it isn’t.

Because he thinks about that night, every single day.

_“…And now what? You want to end it because I am traveling a few miles away?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“You’re unbelievable.”_

He hears everyone walking about and Stiles moving upstairs to drop whatever bags he brought with, stating he will get the rest later.

Malia comes in shortly after, her dark brows pulled together as she makes her way over to him.

“You okay?”

Though her words are straightforward and to the point, there is a range of emotions in it.

Curiosity, empathy, understanding and worry.

She has come a long way from the monotone girl she once was and Derek likes to think, their relationship and the family bond they have slowly been growing between them has helped with that.

He nods. “Yeah. I just needed a moment. I’ll be right out.”

She stares at him for a beat. “Okay.” She nods and turns around, walking back out.

Derek feels his lips tug up into a smile.

Though she has grown more empathetic, some things hasn’t changed.

Stiles comes rushing down the stairs and Derek catches a glimpse of him before he vanishes completely, and soon the ‘party’ begins.

He remains in the kitchen for a short while before leaving the small sanctuary. Stiles looks at him only briefly as he recounts a story before he looks away and returns his eyes to everyone else.

He seems happy, Derek thinks, as he watches him and Lydia tell story after story after story, as he watches Stiles laugh with the pack, is mouth spread wide into a grin, his eyes glowing with joy.

Slowly the tight feeling in his gut loosens.

This is all right. This is what he wanted.

For Stiles to be happy.

 

*

 

They don’t see much of each other, Derek using work to keep his mind preoccupied, so he doesn’t think too much about Stiles.

He listens to Jordan as he talks about Lydia and how they both decided that while they do still have lingering feelings for one another, it isn't strong enough to consider getting back together.

Later that night when he goes home, he thinks about his feelings for Stiles.

They haven’t faded. They have always been there, as a constant reminder whenever he wakes up and he sees the framed photo of the two of them on his nightstand.

Scott has tried to convince him to move on and Derek always tells him that there is no moving on.

He had two great years with Stiles and he knows, that nobody will ever make him as happy as Stiles did and he is not going to settle for second best.

It’s not fair to the other person and it’s not fair on him.

Stiles comes and visits his father every other day, smiling and nodding when he sees Derek but otherwise he says nothing.

The Pack seems to be livelier with the return of Stiles and Lydia and Derek can see now, more than feel, the loss the pack suffered when they left.

It wasn’t a selfish choice on their behalf, they talked to the pack, make sure Scott and everyone was okay with it before they left.

Late one night, he gets a call.

Rolling over in his bed, he reads out for the phone, putting it to his ear without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” His voice is husky and thick from sleep.

“Uh, hey. It’s Stiles.” A hesitant voice says.

Surging up, Derek feels his heart stop as he stares in the darkness of his unlit room.

“Uh, I don’t know if you… I mean, I can tell you just woke up from your voice and I know it’s late but… I kinda can’t sleep because—I just, I was hoping I could see you. You know, clear the air and all that jazz.”

He wants to scream "No!", because clearing the air is the last thing he wants.

Clearing the air means talking to Stiles, being near him and that is the last thing Derek wants.

“Sure, when do you want to come over?” He finds himself saying.

“How about now?”

“Now?”

“No time like the present.” Stiles jokes.

Derek scowls. “You mean the present where it is 2 am.”

“Geez, can I come over or not?”

Derek swallows. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

He hangs up before Stiles can say anything else and moves to put his clothes on. Even though it makes others uncomfortable, the fact that he sleeps naked (besides Malia who doesn’t really care) Derek has always felt… closer to Stiles like this.

After they got together and he and Stiles slept together, they would spent their nights curled up together without a strip of fabric between them.

They wouldn’t have sex. They would just lay there.

After Stiles left, Derek tried sleeping with clothes on but he felt like he was suffocating, so he stopped wearing them to bed all together.

It isn't long before he hears the familiar roar of the Jeep. The same Jeep Noah has allowed Derek to work on whenever he had spare time.

He is aware that Stiles’ father knows its Derek’s poor attempt to feel close to his son and he allows it.

He sat Derek down, a year ago, spoke to him, telling him his love for Stiles, however amazing, is not healthy. He had Melissa come in too, to help reason with him but in the end, Derek explained to the Sheriff and Scott’s mom that isn’t about health.

He loves Stiles.

That’s not going to change and he urged them to should stop worrying about him because as much as they want to him move on, he simply can’t.

Loving Stiles isn’t stopping him from living his life.

He is living it and knowing that the person he loves is out there happy gives him the courage to wake up every morning because he owes it to Stiles to have a life… to be the Derek Stiles has always seem in him.

“Derek!” There is a knock against the door.

Walking out of his bedroom and down the stairs, Derek opens the front door.

Dressed in a jean and a hoodie, Stiles stares at him with an awkward grin.

“Dude, for a second, I wasn’t sure this was the right address. I mean Scott gave me a description of your house but he didn’t mention it looked so homey. Totally, ignoring the fact that it's in the Preserve and there are no neighbors in sight.”

The babbling and the way he shifts from one foot to another brings a wave of fondness over Derek.

Stiles stares at him for a second, before jerking his eyebrows up.

“Well? You gonna let me in or not?”

Numbly, Derek steps aside and Stiles walks in, his shoulder brushing against Derek’s when he walks past.

Closing the door and leaning against it, Derek watches as Stiles takes everything in.

Spinning around in a slow circle, his head moves from left to right.

He knows he doesn’t have much, but compared to the loft he used to live in, this is more packed. He has furniture, one couch and two armchairs, a small fire place with a mantel that holds a bunch of photos that everyone took and then gave to him last Christmas.

He has a kitchen on the far side that is big enough to house four people, something Melissa recommended because it will help recreate memories. Then upstairs, it’s his bedroom, a guest room and a bathroom.

Simple.

“Wow, this is way better than the loft. I mean, I know Lydia said she helped you pick out the furniture through Skype and made you like buy them all but I was not expecting this,” Stiles comments.

“Thank you.”

Turning around at the sound of his voice, the easy expression on Stiles’ face falls and he’s awkward once more.

He shifts ever so often before he moves to take a seat on the couch, making himself comfortable in a true Stiles Stilinski fashion.

“Want something to drink?” Derek asks, eager for something to do.

Stiles shakes his head. “No, I just wanna talk. I mean, I know it’s late and stuff but I wanna get this all out before I lose my nerve.”

Having no other choice, Derek walks over to Stiles, opting to sit on one of the armchairs and can't help but  he notices the sad expression washing over Stiles’ face before he schools it and locks eyes with Derek in a determined way.

“Okay, so I know that when we last saw each other… it ended badly. You were being a dick and I was being an ass and neither of us- We said somethings that night,” He swallows. “See the thing is, after some hurting and some crying and some very angry outbursts, I- I realized what you did. I mean, I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, you used to pull shit like that all the time, like with Isaac and- Anyway, I get why you ended things between us. Could have done it in a nicer way… But I get it.”

The knot in Derek’s stomach eases.

He watches, saying nothing, doing nothing, as Stiles looks down at his hands that he presses together, rubbing them a few times before he continues.

“Which is why I am here. I don’t like how we ended things and when I realized that I missed you… I called you… And you didn’t pick up. Which is fine, I get it but because you didn’t pick up, I didn’t get to clean the air between us. 'Cause see the thing is,” He shifts a little closer to the edge, looking at Derek with hopeful brown eyes. “I was happy when you were in my life and not having you in it sucked. I know we can’t go back to the way we were but I was hoping that... I am hoping that even though I can’t have 'Derek my boyfriend', I can have Derek Hale, my friend?”

 _My friend_.

The word rings in Derek’s ears and his heart aches at the word ‘friend’ but he doesn’t express it.

He did what he had to do, and he will never regret what he did.

Had he broken things between them in a nicer way, Stiles would have had a reason to come back. Not just for his family, whom wanted him to leave as much as Derek, but in the hopes that Derek and he would still be together if he did.

But things have changed.

Stiles now knows that he doesn’t need Derek in his life. He can have a life… A better life without Derek.

“Okay.” Derek says, nodding as he looks over at Stiles.

A grin forms across thin pink lips and Stiles’ body sags just a bit. They stare one another for a moment before he gives Derek a firm nod.

He pushes himself up and off the couch, his body more relaxed that when he had sat down.

Stiles turns and make his way to the front door. Derek stands up and follows after him, his hands shaking, his fingers twitching, wanting to reach out and pulls Stiles towards him.

Stiles opens the door and turns around to smile at him.

“It was good to see you again.” He says.

“Yeah,” Derek nods truthfully. “You too.”

 

*

 

After that, they don’t avoid each other.

When Stiles comes to visit his dad, he stops by Derek’s desk for a small chat before he leaves.

When he and Lydia come to pack meetings, he helps Derek cook or get whatever drinks and junk food the werewolves (and were-coyote and chimera) wants for the night.

Having Stiles back in his life, however the short stay will be, is both a blessing and a curse.

Every time Derek is near him, he feels the love and joy he once had from having Stiles in his life but as much as he wants to, he can’t act on it and that hurts.

They hug but not for long, they sit next to someone but there is a small space between them.

Having Stiles back… only causes Derek to fall harder. His wolf seaks Stiles out every second of everyday, regardly of the fact that Stiles isn't with him at all.

He knows everyone can tell, but they don’t mention it.

Scott gives him sad looks and has come over to talk to him about but Derek just shakes his head and says ‘It is what it is’.

He finds out shortly after he and Stiles are classified as ‘friend’ and no longer ‘exes’, that Stiles is seeing someone.

He walks in on a conversation between Stiles and Lydia as they talk about a giy named Drew.

“Yeah, I know. I just… I miss him is all.” Stiles says mournfully.

“Just call Drew, Stiles. Get it over with. This moping is not a good thing. You are here to spend time with your family and to have a good time. Just call him and talk him because this has gone on long enough.”

Derek never hears Drew name again, but he thinks that is mainly for his benefit.

After the supposed phone call, Derek does notices a small lightness in Stiles’ steps.

The way his shoulders are less tense and his smile is easier.

The night before Stiles has to leave again, the pack takes him out clubbing.

Derek refused the invitation, tired from the barbeque Sheriff Stilinski threw for Stiles’ going way party and because he has to get up early tomorrow to finish some filing.

His phone vibrating on his nightstand wakes him up. He blindly reaches for it and answers.

“Derek Hale.”

Muffled music reaches his ears. “Hey, Sourwolf. It’s me.”

Derek rolls his eyes, his heart fluttering at the old nickname Stiles has started calling him once again, a month ago.

“Who is this?” Derek asks.

“It’s me! Stiles! You know the lanky guy who won’t shut up. The guy you had a thing for and who you showed your love to by slamming me into thi—What? What are you looking at? It wasn’t anything creepy and—Hey! Where you going?—“

Derek shuts his eyes, pressing his lips together to keep his laughter in.

“So rude,” Stiles mutters. “Hello? Derek? You still there?”

“Yes, Stiles, I am still here. What did you want?”

“Oh good. Listen, can you come pick me up. I may have drank too much and the others are having a good time and I don’t know to be a Derek Downer and spoil their fun. Ha, you get it? _Derek_ Downer? Like Debbie Downer but instead I used Derek, I—Hello?”

Derek chuckles. “I’m still here, Stiles. Listen why don’t you do yourself a favor and plant your ass on the sidewalk and I will come get you. Okay?”

He's already up and in his jeans,  slipping on his shoes while keeping the phone pressed between his shoulder and ear, listening as Stiles speaks.

“That’s not very nice, Derek.”

He puts the phone on speaker as looks for a shirt and jacket.

He long ago stopped wearing a leather jacket, given that he hasn’t been going out so much lately but as he slips it on, he feels the old Derek returning.

The quiet guy that used his actions instead of his words to express how he was feeling.

The guy Stiles fell in love with.

“I was not trying to be nice.” Derek says, picking up the phone, his keys and walking out the door.

“Good because you suck at it.”

 

\--

 

He finds Stiles sitting on the sidewalk, his phone pressed against his face as he shouts at it, talking loudly to Derek and ignoring the crazy looks people are giving him.

Derek hangs up phone, now knowing why Stiles didn’t response to any questions that Derek had asked and chose to speak over him.

“AND THEN I WAS LIKE- HELLO? DEREK? WHERE DID YOU GO?”

Stiles turns his phone around, looking at it from back to front.

Shaking his head, Derek gets out of the car. He notices that one of the bouncers, who seems to have been keeping an eye on Stiles frowns when he sees Derek, taking a step forward.

He has met this man before, but the leather jacket must have made him look different.

“Stiles.” Derek says.

Stiles’ head snaps up, and wide pupil blown eyes lock with Derek’s.

“DEREK!” He shouts with joy, jumping to his feet which seems to have the wrong move as he stumbles, tilting from side to side.

Color drains from his skin, making him look pale and ghostly.

“Derek,” Stiles whispers, looking at him. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

He steps to the side just in time as Stiles bends down and retrenches everything he consumed tonight.

The sour smell of vomit and alcohol makes Derek sick and he curls his nose up in disgust.

The bouncer makes his way over to them, his eyes intimidating and locked on Derek.

“You know him?” He asks.

Derek reaches out as another flow of vomit comes from Stiles, to rub his back in smooth slow circles.

He uses the other hand to run his fingers through Stiles’ hair, knowing how Stiles likes it when someone scratches his scalp when he is sick.

“Yeah, I was the one he was yelling to on the phone.” Derek answer, turning his attention back to Stiles who has finished up and is now standing straight, leaning towards Derek for support.

The bouncer looks him over. “I haven’t seen you here before."

Having enough of this and wanting to take Stiles home, he reaches into his back pocket pulling out his badge. “Deputy Derek Hale. He’s the Sheriff’s kid and I’m just gonna take him home.”

The bouncer inspect his badge and Derek allows him to because he respects it. The fact that a bouncer is willing to doubt check before he just lets any drunk patrons get into people’s car that says they know them.

“Okay. Take care of him.” He says nodding to Derek.

Derek nods, wrapping arm around Stiles and guides him around the vomit towards the car.

He eases Stiles into the passenger seat, bucking him up and making sure he is comfortable before he slides into the driver’s side.

As they drive back, Derek rolls down Stiles' window to give him some fresh air. Soft music is playing in the background and Derek wouldn’t dare turn it up, even if the silence is a little unnerving.

“Thanks for coming for me.” Stiles mumbles, rolling his head to the side to face Derek.

Derek nods and says nothing.

“Can we go to your place? I don’t want to go home and wake up my dad in case I want to throw up again.”

Derek raises his eyebrows at him. “So you’d rather throw up at my house?”

Stiles head moves up and down slowly. “Totally.”

Scoffing and shaking his head, Derek answers. “Sure.”

They drive in silent for a little while longer before Stiles speaks up again, his voice still so soft and barely audible.

“Thanks for lettin’ m’stay. You din’t h’ve to.”

“Sure, I did. We’re friend and friends help each other out.”

Getting Stiles into the house is easy. Getting him into bed is harder than Derek thought.

As he takes off Stiles’ shoes, jeans and jacket, he ignores the soft look Stiles is giving him and the small smile that is playing on his lips. He slips the covers out from under him and gently put it over Stiles’ limp form.

“Hank’s Der’k. I know you don’ love’m ‘nymore but tis nice that you c’re.” He mumbles into the pillow, falling asleep instantaneously.

Derek stands there, his mouth hanging open as he stares at Stiles’ sleeping form.

He wants to move but his feet remain planted in place.

_Don’t love me anymore…_

_Don’t love me anymore…_

He shakes his head, not understand Stiles.

He never said he didn’t love him.

How long has Stiles gone through life thinking Derek didn’t love him?

He knows that lack of love was not the reason they broke up. In fact it was love that prompted Derek to end it.

Derek’s love for Stiles made him decide that leaving was the best thing for the younger man.

Stiles lets out a small huff and his head lolls to the side.

As if he isn’t in control of his own body, Derek leans down, running his fingers through Stiles’ hair to push it back before he gently brushes his lips against his forehead.

“I’ll always love you, Stiles.” He mutter against warm, soft skin.

Stiles huffs and turns around, fast asleep.

 

*

 

He takes Stiles to the airport the next morning.

Neither of them mention what happened the night before, though Derek suspects Stiles has no recollection of it at all.

They meet The Pack and the Sheriff at the airport and soon, Derek finds himself standing on the side lines as everyone pulls Stiles into a hug, wishing him and Lydia luck, telling them to call when they land and to please look out for themselves.

The Sheriff pulls Stiles close to him, gripping the back of his neck as if he is afraid to let go, and Stiles hugs him back with just as just love, his mouth pressed against his father’s shoulder and his eyes pressed tightly together.

Soon they pull apart and then Stiles turns to him.

Derek can see everyone turning their attention to Lydia, trying to give the two of them some space.

He appreciates and resents it.

Stiles stops in front of him and give him that self-assuring smirk.

“I’d say thanks for last night but I’m sure the eavesdropping assholes will take it the wrong way.”

Liam chokes on his spit and Scott duck his head, wrapping his arms around Malia and pulls her close as if he has wanted to cuddle with her all along and he is not hiding his face in shame.

Derek smirks. “Thank you for not ruining my sheets.”

He likes this.

This use to be a thing he and Stiles would do around the pack. Have innocent conversations and word them in such a way that the pack would be a blushing and mumbling mess.

Stiles smiles morphs into a serious expression as he stares at Derek. “I’m glad we talked things out.”

“Me too.” Derek nods.

“Maybe this time when I call you, you’ll actually pick up?”

“Just don’t call me at 2am and we’re good.”

The feeling of Stiles' arms around him surprise him and Derek can’t help but lean into the warmth.

He can feel the strength in the hug.

He has always loved Stiles’ hugs.

Never, for some reason, has Stiles hugged him in any ‘usual’ way. He never wrapped both his arm around Derek’s neck, making Derek feel like he was being choked to death. He never wraps both his arms around Derek’s waist, making him feel trapped and leaving his arms to awkwardly wrap around Stiles’ shoulder, because he has no other place to put them.

No, Stiles always hugs him half-way for both. He wraps his one arm around his shoulders, his hand pressing against Derek’s shoulder blades and his other arm around his torso, his hand curled around Derek’s rib cage.

It’s the kind of hug that reeled him in, pulling him close, and pressing every inch of their body's together, from head to knees.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Stiles whispers and Derek swallows.

“Me too.” He says.

They pull apart and Stiles turns around, gives the pack one last pat on the back before he and Lydia are making their way to the port.

That is last time he sees Stiles’ face for a long time.


	2. No Need To Ask (I've Got You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two paths finally meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is, the end of the long road. ( Years, wise)
> 
> Thanks to everyone who liked this story and who commented.

 

A year goes by, and Derek is still working at the Sheriff’s station, only today is his last day.

His phone buzzes on his nightstand and as he finishestares getting dressed and glances at the screen, he knows its from Stiles.

They have been texting on and off, having had no face time, given that Stiles has been swamped with classes and he doesn’t have enough money to make the trip back to Beacon Hills.

He calls to tell Derek everything. Calls at least once a month.

But Derek only texts, because a text is easy.

With a phone call he has to keep everything he so desperately wants to say in but in a text he can think his response thoroughly through. He can make sure it sounds innocent enough and that Stiles doesn’t get the wrong idea (Or in this case, the right one) before he sends it..

He picks up the phone that is next to the picture of the two of them, but unlike the year before, it is not the only photo on his nightstand.

Because this year brought along someone new.

Someone he loves very dearly, and someone Stiles still has no idea about.

_**Last day as Deputy Hale.** _

_**Wish I could be there for the party.** _

_**Best of luck, Der.** _

_**-Stiles.** _

The message is vague and he can’t ponder on it too long because he hears a shuffling in the guest room.

Sighing, he puts his phone down and  he makes his way to the kitchen, wanting to get her food ready for she wakes up.

She’s not a morning person. Derek learned that the hard way.

As he walks down the stairs, he marvels once again how lively his home looks.

Anyone walking in can see Derek doesn’t live alone and he’s proud of that.

The guest bedroom has been cleared out, the bed he gave to Melissa, the white walls has been painted and the bare walls around his home are now covered in pictures.

Memories documented, since the day he met her.

When her morning meal is done, he makes his way up the stairs, peaking into the room and sure enough there is she, wide awake.

A smile breaks across his face and she returns it, displaying the only two bottom teeth she has.

Her big, chocolate brown eyes against her soft camel toned skin makes her look even sweeter than she already is.

“Hey there, baby girl.” Derek greets, walking in.

He knows that smile she’s giving is not for him but for the bottle of milk he has in his hand.

He picks her up, settling her into the cradle of his arm and then pushes the nipple in her mouth, to which she latches on greedily, sucking loudly as she drinks, and letting out small sighs every now and then.

“You get this from your mom. When we were together, Braeden use to eat like it’s nobody’s business. How she stayed so fit is a mystery to me.”

She blinks up at him.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Harper. You drink a lot. Uncle Derek has to wake up early every morning because you demand your meals instead of asking politely.”

At his change in tone, her bow-shaped lips spread around the rubber nipple and a little milk spills out from the side of her mouth before she continues drinking.

He gets her ready in no time, having started a routine the moment she was given to him.

He can still remember Braeden appearing on his door step.

_He rememebers her terrified expression and the thing that terrified him the most the moment his eyes fell on her was her bulging stomach._

_She doesn’t say who the father is and he doesn’t ask. He knows it’s not him but Braeden is his friend, first and foremost, and when she explained that she had nowhere else to go and the only place she felt safe was with him, he let her in._

_She stayed here for the last month of her pregnancy._

_On the day her water broke, something went wrong. She screamed it at him: Something is wrong! I can feel it! Derek!_

_He can’t remember that night very clearly, but there was complications and Harper was the only survivor that night._

_He found a letter addressed to him later that week when he was finally able to take Harper home._

_A letter from Braeden asking him to look after her, saying that she had a feeling something would happen, that someone told her she wasn’t going to be a mom and that’s why she came to him._

_She asked him in the letter to name her baby Harper, whether it be a boy or a girl. To look after her child and to please, love her like she knows he can:  Because if there is one thing Derek Hale can do, is love someone and make them feel like family._

_And so it was... In one week, Derek became a guardian and a father._

_Noah and Melissa helped so much during the first few months, getting him everything he needed. He asked everyone not to mention Harper to Stiles, stating that he wanted to be the one to tell him._

_It never came up and he never told Stiles._

He doesn’t have work today but the department and the Sheriff is throwing him a party at the Stilinski residents so Derek has to be there by 12, help The Pack set everything up and then the party will begin at 2 pm start.

It starts at 2:45 pm and everyone is laughing and joking.

Harper went to sleep around 2:30, leaving him enough time to socialize without having to keep one ear on the conversation at hand and the other on her, to make sure she doesn’t get hurt even if the others are looking after her, making her squeal and laugh as they play with her.

“Derek.”

Derek turns around and sees Noah nodding his head towards the house. He frowns and follows his former boss to the kitchen.

“Is everything all right?”

Noah smiles at him. “Yeah, son, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you in private. Listen, I know Stiles doesn’t know about Harper but that he does know you are moving to Washington next week. Anyway, he sent this. I think it was supposed to be a joke but I think it’s perfect for her.”

Noah hands him a small bag and Derek takes it cautiously.

He peaks inside, seeing black fur. He pulls it out, his fingers sinking into the soft plushy toy and he can’t help but smile when he sees what it is.

A little black wolf, with one bright neon blue eye and the other one green. It has on a small leather jacket and on its chest stitched in cursive letters is the name ' _Sourwolf'_.

Derek laughs. “I’m gonna kill him.”

Noah smiles and shakes his head. “Look, I know you’re moving far away, and I know the chances of you running into Stiles while you’re there are slim so if you ever need anything, you have me on speed dial. Okay?” He says firmly.

His eyes burn and his throat tightens as Derek forces himself to nod, allowing the Sheriff to pull him into a tight hug.

He may be leaving Beacon Hills behind, but Derek knows, as he feels the Sheriff's arms around him, as the sound of The Packs’ laughter and chatter surrounds him, that he isn’t leaving his family behind.

He knows that no matter how far he goes, he will _always_ have a home to return to.

 

*

 

“Harper! Don’t run so fast, Sweetheart!” Derek shouts from where he is sitting on the bench at the local park.

He watches his daughter halt in her step, turn around to give him a small thumbs up before taking off again, at the same speed as before.

He smiles, shaking his head. He can see other people around him watching in amusement and Derek shrugs in a ‘what you gonna do’ when one of the father's of the other kids gives him a sympathetic smile.

He like this park. It has a wide open space, a small play set for kids, a long path that cuts through it for joggers, a small coffee stand somewhere near the end that makes decent coffee.

“Unca Dewek!” Harper screams and Derek looks over to her to see her standing a few feet away from him. “Watch!”

She then does a cartwheel, her feet wide apart.

For a second, his heart stops in fear and then her feet plants themselves on the floor and she straights up with a grin, her pig-tails bouncing.

“Good job, Harp!” He shouts, his cheeks hurting from how wide his smile is.

She giggles and then turns around, her arms spread out on her sides as she runs around in circles.

This park is a blessing for him in some way. On the rare days he has off, he takes Harper here so she burn off any excess energy she might have.

“Sourwolf?”

Derek’s entire body goes ridged at the name, his spine straightens up and he slowly turns around to see him.

Standing there, in a suit and tie, a cup of coffee in his hand and even as he stands there, Derek can see the side arm on his hip. His hair is shorter, the top part styled in a more professional manner but the eyes, the lips, the face, everything is still the same.

As if four years hasn’t passed by at all.

“Stiles?”

A wide grin spreads across his face. “Dude, what the hell are you going here?”

And just like that, the old Stiles is back.

He isn’t the FBI agent before him, he is the hyperactive kid that stole his heart and never gave it back.

He is the guy who Derek still loves to this day with all his heart. The boy who has made it impossible for Derek to find someone new because with each passing face, with each interested smile people throw his way, he always thinks:

_Stiles does it differently._

Stiles moves and plops down next to Derek without an invitation and gives him a wide, expected smile.

“I uh, I live here.”

He glances to the side to see Harper now playing with a girl in the sandcastle. Her parents are nearby and Derek feels a little at ease, but still he makes sure he can hear her heartbeat from where she is playing.

“No shit? Really? Since when? How come you didn’t tell me or why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Derek looks down sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I kinda lost my old phone. I sent Scott a letter and he sent me one back with all the numbers on the pack. I’ve been too busy to actually call anyone to give them my new number.”

Derek knows that’s total bullshit and he knows Stiles knows it because he sent everyone back in Beacon Hills a text to give them his new number and Noah comes up to visit with the money Derek sends every month which he uses to see Stiles too.

Noah never mentions Stiles and Derek is thankful for that.

“I-“ Stiles looks at him, shaking his head in awe. “I can’t believe it. I mean you are literally here. What have you been up to? What do you do? Still law enforcement? How come I haven’t heard of you?”

"Stiles." Derek places a hand on his shoulder. 

Stiles nods, taking in a deep breathe before he nods at Derek once more.

“Okay, I’m good. Go head. Speak.”

Derek laughs. “Well, to answer your first question, I’ve been busy with construction work. I finished my architecture degree and now I’m working for a firm. So, no I’m not law enforcement.”

After Harper came into his life, he knew that risking his life, no matter how small Beacon Hills is and how active their supernatural life is, Derek can’t …

Derek wouldn’t risk his life when he has someone counting on him to care for her.

So he resigned and he left Beacon Hills all together.

“So you finally did it?” Stiles asks, his smiles glowing with pride.

Derek can remember how he and Stiles used to lay in bed together, talking about his life in New York and about Derek’s dream to build homes and something that could protect families.

He wanted to build houses like the Hale House because even though it is burned to the ground, the memories that was made in those walls will always be with him and he wants to build houses that helps create great memories for people, for families.

“Yes, I did.” He nods. “How about you?”

Stiles takes sip of his coffee. “Well, you know… I got into the Bureau, which took up most of my life. My last relationship was two years ago, because the late hours and the cases made it impossible for dates and the 'getting to know you' part of the relationship.”

Stiles shrugs in way that says he’s okay with everything he has told Derek.

“Basically, my partner is now the FBI. They call me late at night, tires the shit of out me during the day but ultimately, makes me very happy.”

Derek laughs and shakes his head. He opens his mouth to respond when a high pitched voice cuts him off.

“Unca Dewek!”

A body comes crashing into him, arms wrapping around his knees.

“I build castle! You come look now!” Harper demands, pointing behind her. “It big!”

Stiles gapes down at Harper, his mouth ajar as he stares.

Derek ignores it, ignores the pain in his gut that appears knowing Stiles now knew the reason why he didn't bothered giving Stiles his new number and that reason is standing now right before him.

“Harper, honey, you’re being rude.” Derek says in a soft yet stern voice.

Harper tilts her head to the side for a second before her eyes flicker to Stiles.

Her eyes widen in shock and Derek knows she probably didn’t notice there was someone sitting next to Derek.

“Sowy, Unca Dewek.” She whispers before she turns to Stiles and thrusts out her small hand. “Hi, my name is Harper Hale, I’m sowy for not- for not seeing you.”

A small, sweet smile forms on Stiles lips and Derek knows he’s smitten.

Harper, no matter how she acts, has a way of charming even the toughest person.

Once, when he ran into his boss at the mall with Harper, the little girl spoke in that sweet tone of hers and now Ben asks about her every time he sees Derek.

Stiles takes her small hand and gives it a shake. “Hi, I’m Stiles.”

Harper gasps. She spins around to look at Derek with a wide smile.

Derek already knows that looks. “Yes, he’s that Stiles.”

Harper squeals and launches herself at Stiles, wrapping her arms around his legs, squeezing it as tightly as her small body can allow.

“I LOVE WOOFY!” She shouts. “Unca Derek says you gave it to him!”

Understanding clouds Stiles' faces and he looks at Derek, a glance that Derek ducks away from to stares down at his daughter as she thanks Stiles over and over for the wolf toy she’s had since she can remember.

“Well it was a pleasure, Harper.” Stiles says softly. “Do you like the eyes?” Harper nods.

“Yep! And the lewer jacket!” She says mispronouncing ‘leather’. “Gampa Noah, alway tawks about you! And Unca Scott. He say you super stwong! Is dat true?!”

With each name that she mentions, Stiles smiles falls just a bit but he forces it up rather quickly.

“Uncle Scott, huh?” He asks, his voice forced to remain light. “Well, you can tell Uncle Scott he should stop lying, I only had a baseball bat.”

_You can tell Uncle Scott he should stop lying…_

“Wow.” Harper says, with an awed expression.

A ring breaks through and Stiles reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone. “Sorry, I have to answer this.”

Harper nod and lets him go. Stiles stands up and walks a few steps away, answering the phone.

Derek swallows down the nerves bubbling inside him, keeping his eyes on Harper as she turns around and tells him she likes Stiles and that Uncle Scott was right, he is nice.

“Listen that was work.” Stiles says as he walks over to them. He looks down at Harper, crouching down in front of her. “It was great to finally meet you, Harper.”

Harper beams and wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him. Stiles looks over her shoulder at Derek, his smile saddened.

When Harper pulls away she presses a kiss on Stiles’ cheek.

“You nice.” She says.

Stiles laughs with her before he stands up, looking at Derek.

“It was great running in to you, Derek.”

He gives Harper a wink before he walks away, leaving Derek as the feeling of pure pain in gut spread to his heart.

He knows lying and not telling Stiles about Harper was going to come back to bite him in the ass and it did but he didn’t think it would matter to Stiles that much.

Soon Harper steals his attention and he stands up and follows after her as she drags him to her sandcastle, that her friend's parents where keeping an eye on so she can show her Uncle Derek.

 

*

 

He runs into Stiles a week later at the park, this time Harper sees him and shouts, “Unca ‘Tiles!” Before she takes off, leaving Stiles no other choice but to catch her as she jump onto him.

He looks over to Derek and this time his smile is easier, less strained.

As he walks over to Derek, he’s nodding and answering Harper as she talks his ear off, telling him that she was hoping to see him and that she wants to show him Woofy.

When Stiles sits down, he keeps Harper on his lap who has finally settled down.

He looks over to Derek. “My dad told me everything. You could have just told me, dude. I would have understood.”

And just like that, it’s forgotten.

Kind of.

Stiles does call him later that night after forcing Derek to take his number and then calling himself to make sure he had Derek’s and then he demands that Derek explains himself fully.

And Derek does.

Feeling finally at peace, with having the chance to tell Stiles everything about Braeden, about Harper, about why he never told him and why he felt the need to tell his family to lie to him to.

Stiles tells him that he’s not completely forgiven but his half way there.

He comes over the next week and hangs with Harper as she shows him all her toys- her cars and her dolls- all her drawings, and the one she drew for him.

She then shows him all the pictures she has of all her family.

Pictures of Noah, Melissa, Scott, Stiles, Malia, Lydia, Liam, Hayden, Mason and even, Allison, Isaac, Boyd and Erica.

She tells Stiles that her other aunts and uncles are in heaven and that even though they aren’t there they are watching over her.

In front of all her photos, is a picture of Braeden, with a bulging stomach that she has cradled in her arms with a wide smile on her face.

“And that is a picture of me n Mama. You can’t see me ‘cause Ima in her belly.”

Stiles becomes a permanent figure in her life after that day but his job as an FBI agent still scares Derek half to death, worrying that one day Harper will wait up for Stiles only for Derek to tell her he had died.

Derek has had someone walk out on him, even if it was only a seven month relationship, leaving Harper devastated.

Elle, one of his co-workers, started talking to him one day and soon, lunch dates turned into late nights texts after Harper has gone to bed.

Fast forward two months later and she is having dinner with Derek and Harper.

He thought she was someone who would be there for the long run, someone he could see himself with for years to come.

Watching her play with Harper, making his daughter smile and laugh as they play dress up made him happy.

He thought his life was slowly falling back into place, and then came the day she called and asked if she could come over.

“It’s just,” She had sighed, looking sad and lost. “I’ve been working towards this promotion for years, Derek. I can’t give it up and as much as I would love to be in your life, as much as I would love to be in Harper’s… I can’t be a mother to her, not the mother that little girl deserves.”

Derek explains to her that it’s not like that, telling her that it is not what he was asking of her.

But in the end, she asked if she could say goodbye to Harper privately, which Derek allowed although he stood outside her bedroom listening in as Elle and Harper talked, listening as Elle tried with all her might to explain to the little girl that it wasn’t because of her, it was just that sometimes life gets in the way.

She walked out that day with a kiss to Harper’s forehead and a sad smile on her lips for Derek.

He never made the mistake again.

Being a father is one of the most amazing things that could have ever happened to him, and Derek realized, as Harper crawled into bed with him that night, cuddling on his chest with Woofy clutched in her arms, that he doesn’t need anyone besides her.

She is his light. And no one, will ever diminish it. 

 

*

 

“Can I ask you something?”

Derek looks over to Stiles as he finishes off drying the dishes.

“Sure.”

Derek dries off his hands, looking over his shoulder to see Harper laying on the floor on top of her blanket with Woofy cuddled against her chest, watching Cartoons, her eyes slowly drooping.

He turns back to Stiles and raises his eyes brows in question.

“Why didn’t you really tell me about Harper? I know you gave your reasons but what was the first reason that prompted you to keep her from me?”

Derek’s bites the insides of his bottom lip, shocked at the question and stumped, not sure if he should give Stiles the edited version or the raw truth.

They have finally gotten to a place where they are comfortable around each other.

They got back to how they use to be before they got together, only this time they are adults, him a single father and Stiles a hard working FBI agent.

“The truth?” Derek asks cautiously.

Stiles rolls his eyes, turning around completely to face Derek as he leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

Looking at him now, Derek can see how much his job has changed him.

The haunted look in his eyes is still there from when he was possessed by the Nogitsune, but anyone looking at him can see that he has gone through a battle and came out a survivor.

He doesn’t look like the innocent kid with the eyes of someone who has seem too much for his age, no, now he looks like a man who has proven that no matter what the world throws at him, he will fight back with his last breath.

Derek swallows before answering. “I needed to get over you.” He says bluntly, not sugar-coating it. “Harper was the only one in my life who didn’t know about you and I… as much as she knew about you, she didn’t know Stiles. And I figured that for me to move on completely, I needed to stop trying to find a way for you be still in my life. She… she made it easier for me to live my life as Derek Hale and not as the man still in love with someone who he hasn’t seen in over a year.”

Stiles stares at him.

Derek knows he is being harsh but Stiles asked for the truth.

A sugar-coated explanation, is not the truth, it’s just an explanation.

“Okay.” Stiles says.

“Okay?” Derek asks.

“Yes, Hazel Grace, I get it.”

Derek laughs and rolls his eyes.

He looks over his shoulder to Harper to see her fast asleep, her eyes twitching as the light of the TV flashes against them.

“Put her to bed, I’ll pack this stuff away.” Stiles says.

Derek nods, leaving without another word.

He shuts off the TV, gently taking Woofy out of her hands to which Harper whines slightly in her sleep.

He places it on the couch and then picks her up, lifting her to his chest so her head can be pillowed by his shoulder as fast and as gently as he can. She grumbles, but the moment her head lands on his shoulder, she is fast asleep once more.

Derek holds onto her with one arm and then takes Woofy with his free hand before turning and making his way up the stairs.

He can hear the plates and silver wear clinking and clanking together as Stiles packs everything away while Derek tosses Harper’s princess covered back and ease her onto her bed.

She opens her eyes for a brief moment but Derek doesn’t panic, he just tucks her in, make sure Woofy is pressed right up against her.

He leans down and presses a small kiss to her forehead.

“Night, baby girl. Love you.”

“Lov’ ‘oo too,” She says sleepily before becoming dead to the world.

Derek chuckles and softly pads out her room, keeping the door slightly ajar before he makes his way down the stairs to see Stiles slipping on his jacket.

“You leaving?” Derek asks when he reaches the last step and makes his way closer to Stiles.

Stiles nods. “Yeah, I have to go get some sleep. Harper tired me out.”

Derek laughs, following Stiles to the front door.

The night is chilly and Stiles shivers slightly the moment he steps out.

He turns to Derek and smirks, looking at him with those honey brown eyes.

“Can I ask you something?”

Sighing loudly, Derek leans against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. “Aren’t you out of questions already?”

“Never. It’s what makes me such a good agent.” Stiles says cockily. “Now can I ask or not?”

He is trying to come off as confident but his heart his pounding and that makes Derek curious as he can smell the worry and inquiry coming off of Stiles.

“Sure, ask away, Special Agent.”

“Do you still love me?”

Derek jerks forward just a bit the question, losing his footing even if he wasn’t moving at all.

He regains his balance and opens his mouth to speak, only nothing comes out.

He tries to move his throat, tries to force his words out but not only can’t he speak, his brain just went completely blank.

“What?” He stutters out.

Stiles stuffs his hands in his pockets, shifting from one foot to the other. His hands move around his jacket pockets.

“Do you still love me? As in, do you have feelings me for?”

Derek takes in a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air. “Yes, I do.”

Hope light up in Stiles eyes.

“But,” Derek continues softly, looking down to ground, not wanting to see the hope die in Stiles’ eyes. “Even if I did, nothing can ever come of it.”

He looks up and locks his gaze on Stiles. “Even if you are in Harper’s life, you’re not ready to be a permanent fixture in it. And I can’t… I can’t do that to her again.”

He knows why Stiles asked. He knows they have been toeing the line of 'Friendship' and 'Something More' once again for the past few days.

With the flirty winks Stiles gives him when Harper isn’t looking, to the ‘casual’ touches on hands and arms that lasts too long for it to be considered casual…

Instead of looking sad or heartbroken, Stiles tilts his chin up a just a bit and gives him a small lop-sides smile.

He takes a step closer, pulls his hand out of his pocket and brings his warm palm up and cups Derek’s jaw.

“You are a good man, Derek Hale.”

Warm, soft lips press against his cheek, just a twitch away from the corner of his lips.

Stiles pulls back, runs his thumb over Derek’s cheek one last time before he turns around and walks to his car.

As Derek watches Stiles drive away, he feels his body sag with relief.

With a small smile playing on his lips, he closes and locks his front door.

 

 

*

 

A car pulls up in his drive away and Derek hears Harper squeal and shout.

“They here! They here!”

Derek hears a loud knock and before Harper can start screaming at him to open the door, like she always does, he rushes past her.

As the door swings open, a body lungs at him and arms wrap around his neck in a tight squeeze.

Derek, as much as he hates it when she does this, hugs her back with just as much force.

He can hear her grunt and feels a smirk spread across his lips.

“Okay, okay. Let me go!”

Malia grabs his shoulders and shoves him off. Before she even has a chance to glare at him, Harper comes rushing over, laughing and screaming with joy.

“Aunt Lia! Aunt Lia!”

“Harper!” Malia shouts back, letting out that beautiful deep laughter as she bends down and picks up her niece, spinning her around in circles but also moving out of the way. “Oh, I missed you so so much!”

Derek sighs at them and turns to give Scott and exasperated look.

The Veterinarian just gives Derek a proud grin, not at all ashamed that this girlfriend (And soon to be Fiancée) has the maturity level of a four year old when she’s around Harper.

He pulls Derek into a hug, patting his back twice as he does so.

“It’s so great to see you, dude.”

 _Dude_ … After all these years, the kid has still kept that stupid term in his vocabulary.

“You too.” Derek says pulls away.

He moves aside to let Scott further in and then closes the front door. “The other’s said they’d be here around 1 pm and then Stiles said he will be here shortly after 2.”

Scott raises his eyebrows at Derek at the mention of Stiles and the older man rolls his eyes.

“Don’t give me that look. I know you know we have been spending time together. The two of you gossip like a bunch of high school girls.”

“I’m not giving you any kinda look.” Scott defends, giving Derek his innocent puppy eyes.

“Yeah, and I’m next in line for America’s Next Top Model.”

Scott gives him a dirty grin. “I know you’re in line to top something.”

Derek slaps the back of his head.

Soon everyone is there.

Noah and Melissa arrives shortly after Scott and Malia, then Lydia arrives with her boyfriend of three years, James Ashburn (Derek secretly calls him James Bond), Jordan shows up and Anna (One of the deputies he has been seeing and who wanted to meet Harper and see Derek again), Liam and Hayden show up winded and out of breath with a semi-melted cake in the their hands and a ‘cool place now! Move!’, and then Stiles shows up and all they all pile outside to Derek’s backyard.

Everyone greets everyone with love and joy.

Lydia and Jordan hug like old friends and Lydia even introduces James to Jordan with a ‘This is Jordan, the deputy I told you about’.

James seems cool with Jordan and soon they are standing off the side, talking about what it’s like be to be in law enforcement and when James finds out Jordan was in the military, the questions come flooding out of his mouth like a dam had been broken.

Stiles, Malia and Scott hug one another tightly, laughing and grinning.

They pull apart from one another, only for Stiles to look at them with a smirk before wrapping them in a hug once more.

The whole thing, _everything;_  watching Harper interact with everyone in The Pack, running around, basking in the attention everyone is giving her, makes him smile so wide his cheek start to hurt.

His eyes burn with tears and Derek moves silently inside to the kitchen to pull himself together.

He knows he is being ridiculous but he remember a time when he felt alone, a time when he had Isaac, Erica and Boyd as his only family and a dark time where he had been so broken he didn’t know the first thing about appreciation.

He had a chance with them and he ruined it.

He called Isaac, got back in touch with a few years back.

Derek apologized for everything he did. He explained himself to his former Beta and now, he gets a call from Isaac every Christmas and New Year.

He call Isaac on his birthday and his Re-Birthday (The day Derek bit him).

“Hey.”

He spins around and see Stiles standing behind him with a worried frown on his face.

“You okay?”

Derek feels his throat burn from the raw emotion coiling within him and clears his throat. “Yeah. I’m…”

He pauses as he tries to find the right word, but with The Pack’s voices mixed in as they talked and laughed with one another, and the sound of Harper explaining why Superman is not better than Batman (He blames Stiles for that), a word pops into his head.

“…Perfect.”

Stiles gives him a smile, like he knows what Derek means and Derek is sure he does.

After that night, after Derek told Stiles he still loved him, things went back to normal.

Derek telling Stiles he still has feeling for him, just confirmed something Stiles already knew and Stiles kissing Derek on the cheek, confirmed Derek’s theories too.

Stiles still comes around when he can, he’s still Unca ‘Tiles to Harper. But Derek knows Stiles is trying to prove to Derek that even if he isn’t ready to be permanent thing in their lives, he is working towards it.

Both he and Derek explained to Harper and told her about the dangers of Stiles' work and in her innocent voice she tells them: _Unca ‘Tiles protects like Unca Scott. Unca Scott try hard to go back to Auntie Lia. Unca ‘Tiles try to._

“You sure? You look like you’re trying not to cry?” Stiles’ voice brings him back from the short happy memory.

He walks closer to Derek.

“I’m not crying.” Derek grumbles as he subtly scratches the corner of his eyes with his thumb nail to make sure there are no tears that have escaped.

“I know, which is why I said ‘trying’… You really need to listen to people, Sourwolf.”

Derek glares at him. “You know, the title Sourwolf no longer applies to me.”

“I know, but Happywolf and Papawolf don’t sounds as awesome even if Papawolf is like almost right up there with Sourwolf.”

“How about just calling me Derek, like everyone else?”

“Because I’m not like everyone else.” Stiles retorts.

A small smile appears on Derek’s lips as he stares at Stiles. “No, you are not.”

Silence falls between them.

They are looking at each other, trying to figure out their next move whilst simultaneously trying to figure out the others move.

It has been two months since that night and Derek has wanted to do one thing, and one thing only.

Stiles, as if sensing where his thoughts led to, closes the small distance between them, taking two long strides.

His hands comes up, grabbing onto Derek’s neck, his chest presses up against Derek’s and then his lips capture his.

Derek closes his eyes the moment contact is made and his hands, as if going on memory alone, lands on Stiles’ hip, pulling him closer as he kiss him back.

The kiss isn’t wild, it never was like that (Unless it was leading up to sex, then it got pretty wild and passionate) but the kiss is… perfect.

Stiles pulls his lips back, letting go of Derek’s top lip only to tilt his head to the side and wrap his lips around Derek’s bottom lip.

Their lips moves with one another, finding a rhythm quickly, their bodies instantaneously remembering what the other liked and what to do.

Someone clears their throat behind them and Stiles jumps away from Derek, looking over his shoulder to see Noah grinning at them.

“You boys done? We are all starting to get hungry and I want to finish up the last of the meat.” He is saying all of this, while grinning like a genius who just proved to the entire world that his theory was correct.

Stiles, with blush running from his neck to his cheeks, scratches the back of his head and nods.

“And you, Derek?” The Sheriff asks, his blue eyes gleaming with pride and humor.

Derek nods his head jerkily.

“Okay,” The Sheriff sounds out and with a grin still plastered on his face makes his way to further into the kitchen, taking the raw meat standing beside Derek.

He turns and walks back out and Derek swears there is a small skip in his step.

He turns around and grins at them. “I’m happy for you boys.”

The moment the backdoor to Derek’s house slides open and half-way closes, Stiles lets out a groan. “God, that was mortifying.”

Derek looks over to him. “He caught us in bed together once, Stiles. This is nothing.”

Stiles glares at him, raising at pointed finger. “We promised to never mention that again.”

“No, we promised to never mention that again, around your father. Your father… is not around.”

“He’s in close proximity. The man hears everything Derek.”

Derek rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Then he should have heard us that night.”

“Okay, enough about that.” Stiles groans, slapping at his ears as if to smack away Derek’s words.

“Let’s just go outside.” Derek says, pushing himself off the counter.

Stiles grumbles under his breath, muttering a small yeah and then follows him.

As they near the sliding door that leads to Derek’s backyard, he feels Stiles lace his fingers through his, giving his hand a small squeeze before letting go as they step out to join their family.

 

*

 

“Harper,” Derek says softly, shaking her shoulders to wake up her. “Time to get up, honey.”

Harper turns around, shoving her face into her pillow. “Nohoo.” She groans.

Derek sighs and rolls his eyes.

Every morning he has to go through this, even if the small act brings a smile to his face, a smile he is now trying hard to supress, keeping his face serious… or as serious as he can get it.

“Harper. Come on, you have get up for school.”

She shakes her head, burrowing even further under the covers.

“There will be pancakes.”

She springs up, her eyes still sleepy as she blinks over at him. “Really? You not lying like the time you said there was pancakes and you made Fench toast.”

“F _r_ ench toast, baby.” Derek says sounding out the ‘r’.

Harper nods, even if it is clear she isn’t paying any attention to him.

She looks behind him to the door with expectant eyes.

Derek wishes she wouldn’t look so hopeful every morning, because he fears that one day that hope with break her heart.

“He will be here later. But he said he will only come if you’re up and ready and downstairs when he gets here.”

Harper's eyes widen and she scrambles, kicking her little legs to get the covers off her.

She reaches out for Woofy, turning around on her knees to pull her covers back in place and then she places Woofy in the middle of it.

Taking his hand, she jumps down the bed and started tugging him towards her bedroom door.

Just as they reach the middle of the stairwell, the doorbell rings.

Harper tightens her hold on his hand, and he knows the only reason she didn’t squeal or rush over to the door is because she is still sleepy.

He opens the door, looking down at a smiling Harper, whose smile only widens when she sees the person standing on the other side of the door.

“Uncle Stiles.” She says a little louder than usual.

Dressed in his suit, Stiles beams down at her, opening his arm and picks her up in one easy swoop.

He presses a loud kiss on her cheek, laughing when she grabs onto his face and squishes his cheeks together.

“I missed you.”

Stiles’ smile turns softer, fonder as he looks at her. Derek steps aside and Stiles walks in, heading towards the kitchen, his attention solely on Harper as the little girl grins at him.

“Aww, Harp. I miss you too. It sucks that I didn’t see you last night.”

“Did you catch the bad guy?” She asks as Stiles places her down on her chair by the counter where her Pancakes are, already cut in small, eatable squares, with a little syrup on the side of her plate, her plastic fork beside the plate.

“Yes, I did.”

It’s a little ritual they created.

Harper understand why Stiles can’t come over every night, she understands that he has work like Uncle Scott (Everything is still ‘like Uncle Scott’ to her), but Derek still has to explain to her that just because Uncle Stiles doesn’t call her to wish her good night (Like he didn’t do last night) doesn’t mean something bad happened to him.

Besides, Derek would know, would _feel_ , if something happened to Stiles.

They eat breakfast together, filling the silence with small chatter.

Harper talks about what she plans on doing today, Stiles and Derek ask questions after questions to wake her up further and soon her pancakes are done.

She looks over to Stiles when Derek tells her it’s time for her to go brush her teeth.

“Go on, I’ll be there in sec.”

She always asks Stiles, if he is there, on what she should wear to school, making sure the outfit Derek picked out the night before looks all right and not silly.

A few kids picked on her once for wearing a sunny dress with sneakers, and since then she always makes sure she looks right for school.

As she makes her way upstairs, Derek takes, her's, Stiles and his empty plate to the sink.

He hears as Stiles waits just a beat for the bathroom door to open before he gets up from his chair and makes his way over to Derek.

His hands slowly sneak up Derek’s sides, around his waist before it settles over his stomach. He leaves the dishes and turns around cupping Stiles' face, kissing him softly and slowly.

“Uh, good morning.” He says against his lips.

Stiles nods. “Good morning indeed.”

Though they have been slowly working their way back into a relationship since that day at the family get-together, they are taking things slow.

Taking it one step at a time because it’s not just them they have to think about, it’s Harper too.

Though she has expressed it clearly, that she wants Stiles and Derek to be together, telling them that Uncle Scott said Uncle Derek was really happy when he was with Uncle Stiles like Uncle Scott is with Auntie Lia.

Derek is coming up with creative ways to kill Uncle Scott.

As much as he wants to be angry at Scott, he isn’t because he approached the topic like it was an idea to Harper and allowed Harper to make her own opinion on the matter, which helps Derek and Stiles a lot.

Stiles pecks his lips once more before he pulls away completely. “So, I have to work a little later than usual today, but I will try to make it back on time.”

Derek nods, understanding, running his hands up and down Stiles’ sides. “It’s okay. I understand. I’ll let Harper know.”

Stiles shakes his head. “It’s okay, I’ll tell her when I give her the Stiles’ Approval.”

A smile spreads across his face and Derek leans down to kiss Stiles once more when-

“Uncle Stiles!”

Derek stops, looking into Stiles’ eyes with amusement when the other male smirks.

“Coming, Harp!” Stiles shouts.

He jerks forward, pressing a quick peck on Derek’s lips before he turns around and makes his way up the stairs.

Derek watches him walk away, his body still buzzing from the kiss, his chest still warm from where Stiles had pressed up against it.

He can’t help but smile and shakes his head.

Turning around, he started with the dishes, hearing Harper and Stiles upstairs.

“And this?”

“Perfect.”

“With this?”

“hmm… Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. You’re Uncle Derek really knows his way around clothes.”

“Hmmhm, He’s the best.”

Derek smiles at her words, his heart swelling with love, joy, content, peace and wonder.

He can’t believe that after so many years, after their lives went in two different directions, they somehow found their way back to each other.

Derek can’t believe that the road to Stiles had been blessed with a beautiful, smart, compassionate little girl that lit up his whole world with nothing but a smile and an 'Uncle Derek'.

“Yeah, he is…”

“And you too, Uncle Stiles. You and Uncle Derek are the bestest. Uncle Scott said so.”

“Right on, Harper.”

Maybe Derek won’t kill Uncle Scott after all… Just scare him a little.

He’s sure Malia would love to help.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for any mistakes, they are my own.


End file.
